The Useless Critic 2.0

Song of the Day HAUNTED! HAUNTED! HAUNTED! ~spooky~

Enjoy it kids. It's a bit of a depressing mix, but I can't mask how I feel right now. I haven't been this sad since my Sylvia Plath Winter wherein I didn't leave the bed for a while. I had a breakthrough, and then that evaporated. I will have another breakthrough soon, I think. I hope. I feel very alone and lost, and very doubtful of myself. However, I've been blessed to have good friends. The holidays are right around the corner, but I can't say I am happy about that. Even Halloween's not doing much for me. Hence the lack of seasonal pathos displayed here. I discovered I may have ADHD , which explains a lot for me i.e. why I live such an undomesticated lifestyle. I wish I had realized this sooner, because it makes me at least feel better that I'm not some hapless, selfish, disorganized slob and there is actually hope I can live a normal existence soon. Like, as in "Not get distracted easily," "Not lose everything, "Be able to cle...

Spooky Song of the Day This is a song about a witch. OOH A WITCH   spooky!!!

I really do not want to leave my bed, but this is making me tear up a little: I think this was Lou's favorite Velvet Underground song? I've always thought it was a gorgeous song and definitely one of the better love songs out there. Because when you are in love, you simply do not see these things the person you're in love with hates in themselves. And these kids are precious. Have a good week friends and readers! 

(Spooky) Song of the Day OOH! GHOSTS! SPIRITS! STING!!!! ~ scurry ~

We lost a legend today.

Song of the Day I have now begun a week of sheer SPOOKINESS in honor of Halloween.  So every song from this point forward will be a spooky  HALLOWEEN song. Here's a song by Vampire BLOOD-SUCKING Weekend about.... SPOOKY HORCHATA

Song of the Day Pretty trippy!

Song of the Day Arguably "Metals" has become my favorite Feist album. Good video.

Song of the Day If I could have it back All the time that we wasted I'd only waste it again If I could have it back You know I would love to waste it again Waste it again and again and again  I was going to do another song (i.e. Lorde). However, this one felt more appropriate right now. I have inadvertently learned a lesson from an odd place. Showing people you love them is crucial. Showing them.  Kind of sucks for me, because words are all I have (especially now, ha), but it's something I won't forget.

I don't think I've done an "I'd Hit It" in quite some time, and so, in order to bring this back in grand fashion, I decided to do it for my great love, Marion Fucking Cotillard. I first fell in love with Marion Cotillard during her Oscars speech. It was 2006? 2007? And I remember how sincere and cute she was. Oh, goodness. I love cute foreign girls with accents. It is my weakness. And a French accent? You know she could read the phonebook and it would be sexy. Do not kid yourself. I always thought blonde girls were my type- but Marion Cotillard led me down some other rabbit hole. Oh, here: Anyway, Miss Marion will soon be appearing with Mila Kunis (not as a couple, although I so wish) in "Blood Ties." Directed by her "partner." Yeah, whatevs. Marion, you just haven't met me yet. There is nothing more attractive than a gorgeous fresh-faced woman. Also, she will be taking over for Natalie Portman in the newest Macbeth f...

Song of the Day This is the second remix I've posted in a week. Admittedly, I don't like remixes, but RAC is a genius.  Question: What's your favorite remix?

Song of the Day I was discussing Sleigh Bells at work, and no one knew who they were, so I had to explain them. "It's a girl screaming over a guitar..." This is my anger music. But nonetheless, it's pretty invigorating. I used to have pants like her. I miss them, no clue what became of them. BE NOT AFRAID

Have you seen this commercial?  Few questions:  What is a child doing giving an adult love advice?  What is an educator doing sharing details of his love life with a nine year old? Most importantly, WHY ISN'T GRANDPA CONCERNED AT THIS REVELATION?  She's adopted.

Song of the Day Like having your heart smashed in the 1980s. 

Song of the Day

Song of the Day I didn't think I was going to like this song that much, but this is sick! It's a bit "harder" than the Cults we're used to. And it's as catchy as ever. Cults are coming to the Crescent Ballroom Nov. 9 in Phoenix. I'm hoping to go, even though I've seen them live a lot. It will be a nice rush of nostalgia for me. 

I did a Christmas one a long time ago, so here is my follow-up.  I am older and more jaded now, so excuse me if my youthful exuberance has vanished. And I know that I said I didn't want to post more right now, but I'm attempting to do it because it makes me feel better. 2013 has been hard. I am hoping 2014 holds something more promising for me. God knows what that is, really. I know, I KNOW: they are speaking IKEA. Chapter 1: The Background I live in Collegetown USA now, so no one really decorates. They are all too busy being drunk and having sex. BRA? BRA?!!?!?! I only have the first thing in common with them. What I am writing about will be things from memory andddd what the Internet tells me is popular. The Internet has never lied to me. Chapter 2: The Costumes When I was very little I went as the Cookie Monster for several years in a row. Then I went as a fairy, then Casper the Ghost, then Robin from Batman & Robin, then I went ...

Song(s) of the Day Rufus Wainwright Fiona Apple The Beatles This is one of my favorite songs of all time. "Nothing's gonna change my world..."

Song of the Day :(

Song of the Day St. Lucia's debut album, "When the Night," came out yesterday. I can't wait to hear it- they/him are, by far. my favorite musical discovery of 2013 (in what has been a shitty, sad, soul-crushing year).

Lady Gaga has released the official cover for her upcoming ARTPOP album, featuring a nude sculpture of herself by artist Jeff Koons, who is name-dropped in a verse of lead single " Applause ." I love it! Sexy and artistic without bordering on ratchet (y'all now who I'm talking about). Also, a major—and obvious—improvement on the Born This Way cover . Thoughts? P.S.: Gosh, I can't enough of "Aura" and "Sex Dreams." Hopefully the rest of the album will have the same effect on me.

SANDRA BULLOCK: LOST IN SPACE. I have dreams about this. The Sandra Bullock part mostly. BTW, I saw "Don Jon" last weekend because I love  JGL and ScarJo. It can be graphic at points (and porn kinda grosses me out- even lesbian porn, to be honest, I don't think is that interesting) but it has a good heart. The ending comes as a surprise. SEE IT.

I just returned from a late breakfast at the bus stop. I know that sounds glamorous, and believe me, Kim Kardashian dreams of my lifestyle. Actually I was doing a lot of thinking. Seeing as how I'm now returning to normal so to speak, my thoughts aren't as morbid or as masochistic as they have been. I'm going to share them with the world now. 1.) Miley Cyrus insults Sinead O'Connor's mental health- Okay, I am a fan of neither, but that is just LOW. Scumbag low. That's like insulting someone's physical condition. As you can deduce by my previous post, I kinda hate Miley. And I think Sinead is not the greatest but Miley has proven herself to be a tactless bitch. I am no Freud, but I think Ms. Cyrus has her own demons, so it's like the pot calling kettle black, really. 2.) Mia Farrow discusses Woody Allen's alleged sexual abuse in Vanity Fair- This was news to me. I love Woody Allen; he's a talented writer and director. However, it...

Golden Suits is the solo project of one Fred Nicolaus, who is best known for his work in the band Department of Eagles. His debut album as Golden Suits (name lifted from a John Cheever story) was released last month.  His debut album is getting pretty good reviews so far. And in order to make it, he went through a lot. And, of course, read a lot of Cheever. The album itself has a poppy, melodic 1970s folk vibe to it. It's pleasant to listen to. Golden Suits will be playing a free show at the Sail Inn tonight @ 9 p.m. I strongly recommend going. I asked him a few questions via email recently. Here are his responses (some of which are fairly ... interesting; you will see what I mean). Thanks Fred! UC: What's the reception been like for your debut album? GS: It's been good so far - it's kind of hard to say what it's been because it's only been out a month or so.  I feel like I'll have a better answer in a year or so when I can look back fondly/res...

Song of the Day (let's pretend this covers tomorrow) Come tell me your story to unload your glorious grief Where you are the valet of honor and I am the thief And don't ever mention the stains that you left on my track How from a beautiful girl I became someone ruined and wrecked Was all in your back, all in your back So I spin in the dance of your absence and put on a show But why do I smile baby, you of all people should know The one that you loved died a long time ago You can't do me wrong with charity until You'll exhaust your lies and remedies, you will But with your voice and melodies you kill, you kill Your version of glory is dark and it's covered with sin And I wanna dive in an ocean of pink tourmaline I've seen the pure souls, they exist and they fly And I think I could live with it, I know I can now You can't do me wrong with charity until You'll exhaust your lies and remedies, you will But with your voice and melodies...

Song of the Day This is such an euphoric song. Except that weird Kirsten Dunst-like monologue. I didn't sign up for this!

Song of the Day I fell in love with this song as a little girl. I remember sitting in my parents' backseat listening to the Rod Stewart version. And it struck me as very honest and gorgeous. I mean, I had to be like 3 or 4. So I had no idea what he was singing about. This song has been recorded time and time again, but this version made me fall in love with it all over again when I was 23 and discovered Marianne Faithfull. She had the voice of an angel when she was young. Of course, now her voice is something else, completely. Listen to cover of  Neko Case's "Hold On, Hold On." Yep. Alcohol? Cigarettes? Who knows. It has a different beauty now. I don't think this one you can acknowledge with your head as much as your heart. It's not overly profound. It's just beautiful.  Here is the version I loved as a little kid:

HOT. So the new Haim album came out, but it's beginning to feel as if it's been here for ages. 2013 is the year of Haim. McDonald's is now doing shit with them. As demonstrated in my previous post, I have mixed feelings about THAT. These three sisters from Cali have won my heart. What to make of their new album, though?  Well, it's a bit corny. And it's a bit cheesy, but in the best possible way really. I wish this album had dropped this summer, because it's a perfect summer album. It's pretty upbeat and if I danced, it'd be to this kind of folk/r&b music.  I do not dance, and it's always summer in Phoenix. LET'S NOT KID OURSELVES. Anyway, they play Phoenix on Oct. 19. I will be there.  So, let's do this! In the spirit of what I did with Oh Land and Wild Belle , let's dissect this track by track. P.S. this album came out today! I am so on the ball.  Yes, I am a sucker for a band with a pretty girl! I know; I see the p...